Former San Francisco 49er Pleads Not Guilty to Charges in Fisherman’s Wharf Attack

By Bay City News •Published November 2, 2016•Updated on November 2, 2016 at 12:20 pm

NBC Bay Area

Former San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to charges filed in connection with an attack in a Fisherman's Wharf hotel that injured two men.

Miller, 29, who entered the courtroom accompanied by about a half-dozen people, is accused of having tried to enter a hotel room that was not his at the San Francisco Marriott Fisherman's Wharf Hotel at 1250 Columbus Ave. around 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 5.

The room was occupied by a 70-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife, who did not know Miller, according to police.

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When the couple's 29-year-old son, who was staying in the room next door, told Miller the room was not his, the former football player allegedly charged at him.

During the ensuing struggle, Miller allegedly punched the elderly man and used a cane on the victims, who suffered significant injuries, police said. He was later located at a Travelodge hotel across the street and arrested.

Miller faces multiple felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, two counts of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, inflicting injury on an elder likely to cause great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and two counts of criminal threats, as well as misdemeanor battery.

The charges include multiple enhancements because one of the victims was 70 years old, police said.

Prosecutors have said surveillance video from the area suggests Miller may have been intoxicated when the alleged assault occurred.

The 49ers released a statement saying Miller had been dropped from the team just hours after the news of his arrest broke.

In June 2015, Miller pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace in connection with an incident in March of that year involving his ex-fiancée. In that case, Miller allegedly threw the woman's cellphone onto the floor and smashed it during an argument at a Santa Clara hotel.

Miller is out of custody on bail. A pretrial conference was scheduled in his case for Nov. 22.